1. Field of the Invention
A process and system for the co-production of hydrogen, power and, optionally, steam from a hydrocarbon fuel source is provided. Particularly, these products are generated through the integration of certain operations of a hydrogen production unit and a power generation unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Refineries, chemical plants, and the like generally require hydrogen, power, and steam in order to operate. One common approach to supply these requisite materials is to use a steam methane reformer (SMR) for hydrogen production and a combined cycle process (CCP) for power production. Both units are capable of being modified to produce steam, if required. The SMR and CCP are generally operated independently.
Along with hydrogen, a relatively low-energy content gas stream is also produced by the steam methane reforming process. Such low-energy content streams are generally used to back out natural gas from the furnace. Further, the reactants within the SMR are generally under high-pressure. Therefore, the reformer reactor tube walls must be of a thick construction to withstand the high-pressure reactants contained therein. The thick tube wall design leads to large capital expense and reduced heat transfer efficiency. Also, maintenance expenses are higher as these thick-wall tubes require replacement after operational failures.